47 Tasting Notes
Thanks to Ricky, I now possess a tea by A&D! I’ve been meaning to try their teas for quite some time. I really enjoy this one- it’s a full, rich and dark black blend. Lots of Yunnan flavor, maybe a hint of smokiness. Maybe a touch of Keemun? It also has a subtle sweetness lurking in there. This tea is so rich and smooth, very comforting!! Especially on this frigid day. I don’t usually like to add milk to my teas, but I bet this one would do well with it. I think I’ll try doing that with the next cup! I wish I could cozy up under a blanket with this one!
The taste of this instant tea reminds me of the base for bubble tea. it’s creamy and very sweet (i did not add any milk or sugar), but leaves an oily taste on the tongue. the ‘tea’ doesn’t really come through for me, it’s more of a bitter aftertaste. there are a lot of artificial ingredients in here also, which I’m not a fan of. But I do love bubble tea, and this is a quick and easy substitue if you can’t get out to a bubble tea shop.
This is an autumnal flush darjeeling. It has a beautiful floral aroma with that sweet darjeeling muscatel scent. In taste, it is not as delicate as a first flush. It is bold, but without much of the floral notes that 2nd flushes usually have. The tea is a lovely golden, coppery color. It is lovely to look at, and a pleasant tea to sip! The muscatel lingers on the tongue a long time after the tea is gone!
Preparation
This is one of the most unique tea experiences i’ve had so far! an old friend of mine that lives in Japan gave this to me on her recent visit to the states. it is only cherry blossoms, no added green or black tea. the cherry blossoms smell strongly of umeboshi plum, which is a pickled Japanese plum (actually more similar to an apricot). The smell hits you as soon as you open the package. I tasted the leaves before steeping and it tastes almost exactly like an umeboshi plum! very, very salty and tart, and sweet. a very strong flavor. The resulting tea itself smells exactly as it does before steeping. it has a very faint taste of pickled apricot, or perhaps pickled raisin. a very strange taste!! Not sure that this is something I’d want to drink all the time, but it is a fun adventure. the blossoms look beautiful while floating in the water!
for a few pictures, go here http://teahappiness.blogspot.com/2011/01/unexpected-tea-gift.html
I usually don’t do herbal teas, especially floral ones, but I was at Radiance with a friend in the evening, and didn’t want any caffiene. I have to say, it was quite tasty. Mostly fruity, I didn’t taste any flower notes. It was juicy and tangy, with the strong taste of juniper berry, and refreshing. I had a second infusion, and it was just as juicy and bright. It tastes like it looks- a lovely bright red/pinkish color.
This tea is pleasing. It has a sweet aroma with a smooth, toasty and nutty flavor. similar to Hojicha but without any green vegetal taste. It is very soothing. It also is reminding me of something from my childhood, but I can’t put my finger on what it is. I think it’s a tea we used to have at a Chinese restaurant that we frequented. Seems strange, but that is what I’m remembering! this isn’t the most flavorful tea, but it is definitely a nice change of pace on a cold winter day.
What a great tea!! Out of the package the tea has a lovely light floral scent. Not very strong, but immensely pleasing. I steeped the tea according to the directions, using the correct amount of tea, and freshly boiled (but not boiling) water. This resulted in a beautiful bright yellow/green liquid that had a light sweet smell. The taste is best described as light, yet full of flavor at the same time. The tea has a rich green vegetal body, that felt buttery on the tongue. Floral and sweet notes come through as well. Even though the leaves are unroasted, there was a slight oolong toasty/tanginess at the end. It is a delicious cup of tea that helped relax me on a hectic day. I did a second steep of the leaves, and the flavor was less delicate, the gentle floral notes were gone. It was stronger this time, with a toastier flavor, definitely more ‘oolong-like’. Can’t wait to try the other Zealong varieties!
This tea is serviceable. it has a distinct darjeeling taste: a little bit floral, slightly bitter, with a slight muscatel flavor. it’s not very flavorful though, and mostly just the bitter component comes through. I’ll drink it since I have a box of it in my office, but I don’t think I will be buying it again.
I don’t taste the honey accent mentioned on the package, but i do taste the chestnut. nice and nutty with a delicate floral note. also a light vegetal taste. I’m new to white teas, but am really enjoying this one! The leaves have a lovely sweet aroma before steeping, but has a nutty smell after steeping.
